AN/ I'm only going to mention this briefly, 'cause I'll talk about it more
when the time comes..Any loyal member of POF would have known the penguins
would be nothing but trouble for Téa the moment the first one dared to show
its beady little eyes!!! *Steps off of soap-box*
Shayla walked into Ishizu's room the next day. She didn't wait for any formalities; she didn't even sit down. "Who is Odion?"
"Huh?" asked Ishizu, who was taken by surprise by her 'student's' abruptness.
"Who is Odion, the one in the hospital wing now?" Shayla asked again. Ishizu paused before answering. She wasn't sure if she should tell, but the scales did not take kindly to liars. "He is my adopted older brother."
Shayla was surprised by this, enough to sit down and rethink her approach. "This has to be hard on you."
Ishizu slowly nodded. "I cannot give up hope for my brother, but his future seems so dark." She fingered her Millennial Necklace at this.
"I wish I knew," sighed Shayla. "I..I don't know family."
Ishizu looked her over again, once again surprised that she was surprised by the girl. "How strange fate plays that it makes an orphan out of the Israelite who had eight brothers!" she thought.
"I-I feel so confused," continued Shayla. "There is so much I feel that I should know..that it feels like I have forgotten..I don't know how to describe it, but there's so much going on here...I don't know how it all fits together."
"It will come to you in time," said Ishizu. As Shayla listened, her voice seemed to fade out of focus. "It won't do you any good to...."
*Dream*
"..continue to work on this today," said priestess Ishizu. "You'll only get more frustrated. Go back home to your mother."
Shayla could tell the Israelite girl was have a bad day at her hieroglyphic studies. She was very frustrated and getting mad at herself. "Yes ma'am." She agreed and stood up.
"And try not to get lost," said Ishizu as she walked out the door. The girl nodded at her and slipped out into the shadows of the temple.
It turned out to be a doubly bad day, because, true to Ishizu's warning, she got lost.
"I swear these passages change on me every day!" she exclaimed as she continued into the temple, trying to find her way out.
"You must try again, Lady Ishizu!" a voice echoed down the hallway. Once again seized by curiosity, the girl followed it to the room that two people were in, hid by flattening herself against the wall, and began to eavesdrop.
"I have tried, Priest Shada, but I cannot seem the future of Priest Mahado," Ishizu said. The girl seemed puzzled. Ishizu actually seemed worried, which was the first time since the guard had threatened to kill her. There was a tense pause. "You cannot find his mind anywhere with the Millennial Key, either."
"I fear for his safety," said the man whom Shayla had assumed was Priest Shada. "It can only mean one thing.."
"It has two meanings," corrected Ishizu. "The Millennial Items are limited. They have no power over each other. That either means something has happened to Mahado and he still possesses the Millennial Ring, or he is dead and the ring stolen."
"Let us pray to Ra that it is the first," sighed Karim. Shayla and the Hebrew girl both metaphorically rolled their eyes at that. The Israelite took that as her cue to leave, and scampered further into the shadows of the temple.
*End Dream*
"Shayla!" called Ishizu.
"Ugh..what happened?" groaned Shayla.
"You had another vision," answered Ishizu.
"..What do they all mean?" asked Shayla.
"That you must discover for yourself," replied Ishizu. Shayla merely nodded.
"Will all finalists please gather for the selection of the two contestants," announced the PA.
"Will you be drawn this time?" asked Shayla.
"No, but your friend will be," answered Ishizu.
"Mai?!" gasped Shayla, a bit surprised. She stood up. "I-I'm sorry to leave you, but I need to be there for my friend."
"I understand," said Ishizu. Shayla took that as approval and walked out the door. As it closed behind her Ishizu said, "Your friend will not be the only one tested in this duel."
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Shayla walked down the hall, only to run into most of the group as they left the hospital wing. They all called to her to join them, but she wanted to wait for Mai.
"Let's see, if Mai is chosen and Ishizu isn't....that means Mai either has to duel Kaiba or Marik...I don't like this..."
Shayla stopped by the entrance to the hospital door and heard Mai's and Joe's voices filter out. An idea like this would normally never cross her mind, but after seeing it in two dreams, it only seemed like the right thing to do. She pressed her back against the wall and began to listen to them.
"So Joe," said Mai, "in that dream you said all your friends were there. Was I?"
"Huh? What?! No! Definitely not. Nope, not there!" jabbered Joe.
"Oh?"
"Well, it was at school and..nope, you defiantly weren't there," he continued to stammer. The scales saw through his lie in an instant.
"Huff!" exclaimed Mai as she stormed out. In her haste she didn't even see her roommate as she walked passed. A few seconds later Joe walked out, and he too didn't see Shayla.
Shayla stepped away from the wall and called after him. "You lied to her."
"Huh?! What?!" yelled Joe who had been taken completely by surprise. "What are you doing there? I didn't see you."
"Apparently," muttered Shayla. "Why did you lie to her?"
"I-I don't know what you are talking about..." Joe stammered.
"You cannot lie to me, I have the Millennial Scales," reminded Shayla. "I just want to know why you did it. All Mai was asking was if she was your friend."
"She was?" asked Joe, scratching the back of his head. "Then why didn't she come out and say it?" He looked even more bashful. "Gotta go!" He raced off.
"Men!" exclaimed Shayla, exasperated. She started down the hall again, trying to catch up with Mai.
Shayla soon enough realized she had never been to the room where they drew the contestants.
"The first finalist chosen is...Marik Ishtar!" announced the PA.
"Oh no!" gasped Shayla. "Mai is in trouble!" She broke into a run, figuring she's meet everyone on the roof at the field. A moment later, true to Ishizu's prediction, Mai's name was drawn.
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"Hi Shayla!" called Téa as the group assembled. "You made it."
"Of course I did. Where's Mai?" asked Shayla.
"On the dueling platform already," answered Duke.
"Good luck, Mai!" called Shayla.
"You can do this," added Yu-Gi. "Marik is tough, but he isn't invincible."
"Yu-Gi, save it," snapped Mai. "I don't need your help, you'll only distract me."
Shayla was shocked. She had never heard Mai speak so harshly. "Mai?!"
"Shayla, please, I don't need it," retorted Mai. Shayla looked as if she had been slapped. Everyone else seemed equally surprised that Mai would be so harsh with one of her closest friends. "Are you ready Marik?"
"So eager to seal your own fate," said Marik with a slight laugh. Every time he spoke Shayla felt as if ice was sliding down her spine. There was something seriously wrong with him.
"Oh, can it!" snapped Mai. "I'll open this duel by summoning Dunames Dark Witch in attack mode!" Her monster had 1800 attack points.
"Then I will summon my Revival Jam in defense mode," announced Marik. "As well as the magic card Jam Breeding Machine!" His first monster appeared to the field. It looked like a blob of pale blue jelly. Its stats were 1500 and 500.
"Oh no!" gasped Yu-Gi. "He's going to try to summon his god card!"
Mai, however, wasn't impressed. "Are you going to try to beat me with Jell- O ©?" Marik merely chuckled.
"Mai, you're going to have to be careful!" called Joe. "Marik is up to something!" Mai ignored him.
"Why is she so mad?" asked Serenity.
"I have a hunch," muttered Shayla, tilting her head towards Joe.
"It doesn't seem so tough to me," said Mai. "Attack! Dunames Dark Witch!" Her monster dove in and struck the Revival Jam, sending little bits of jelly across the field. "Ha! Not so tough!" But as those words were out of her mouth, the bits of Revival Jam began to merge together again.
Marik chuckled. "You cannot hurt Revival Jam, any time you attack it will simply reform."
"I won't give up that easily," retorted Mai as Marik began his next turn.
"There is something seriously wrong with Marik," said Shayla as she felt the strange flux of the Millennial Item's power around him.
"I think he's always that way," said Joe, not really listening.
"I don't know, he flipped last duel," said Tristan, a bit more thoughtfully.
"He is being controlled by an evil spirit, created from the power of the Millennial Rod," answered Yu-Gi, monotone.
"What?!" exclaimed Shayla.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Duke shrugged it off.
"I will use Pot of Greed to open my next turn," said Marik as he stared down Mai like she as a chicken to a wolf. "That allows me to draw two new cards. While I do that, my Slime Breeding Machine will create one slime token for me." A smaller blob of gel appeared besides the first with stats of an even 500. "Then I play one face down card to end my turn."
"So far I have yet to be impressed," said Mai, coolly.
"I don't like these Millennial Items much any more," thought Shayla as she tightened her grip on her backpack. "They seem to bring out the worst in people...First Pegasus with the eye, then Bakura with the ring..now Marik with the rod....Yu-Gi seems to be able to control his..Could something happen to me or Ishizu? I really don't like this...But...Luther gave them to me..he'd never hurt me...I am so confused...I'm afraid...for us all."
"Sorry Marik, but you'll find I'm not so easy to beat," said Mai as she started her next turn. "I activate Harpy's Feather Duster and eliminate your face down card and Slime Breeding Machine!"
"Way to go Mai!" cheered the group. Mai only acknowledged them by a wave of her hand, a gesture for them to be quiet.
"Now, Dunames Dark Witch, attack the Slime Token!" ordered Mai. Her fairy monster flew over and blasted the Slime Token in a burst of light. This took Marik down to 2700 life points, the first direct damage of the duel. "And I play one face down card to end my turn."
"I think she'll pull this off!" said Téa, hopefully.
"Yes, but I am about to reveal a much more powerful monster!" said Marik. "I tribute the ones I have in play to summon Masked Beast Des Guardius!" A strange monster with three masks appeared on the field.
"Mai! You have to be careful of its special ability!" called Shayla.
"I said I don't need any help," retorted Mai. "I was a great duelist before I met any of you, in case you have forgotten. Now leave me alone and let me win this my own way."
"Don't take it too hard, Shayla," said Serenity. "Mai's just upset right now. I'm sure she didn't mean it." Shayla nodded, she didn't trust herself to speak.
"Now let's see how tough you are," sneered Marik. "Masked Beast, attack!"
"Mirror Wall!" announced Mai as his attack was blocked. The Masked Beast shattered into digital bits before disappearing.
"Mai really likes that combo," commented Tristan.
"You have no monsters left, Marik, so I can attack your life points directly!" said Mai, happily. "Now, attack, Dunames Dark Witch!"
"Not so fast!" countered Marik. "My Masked Beast has left a surprise for you!"
"What?"
"Thos threes masks will merge into one mask, giving me control of your monster!" said Marik. A hideous mask formed around the dark witch and she drifted over to Marik's side of the field.
"And I will continue by activating Remove Trap on your Mirror Wall!" said Marik.
"He took out all her defenses!" exclaimed Joe.
"You'd be foolish to think that's all I can do," said Mai, harshly. "I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be," spat Marik. "Perhaps I need to teach you fear. This duel has now become a Shadow Game!"
"What?! No!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"He can't be serious!" gasped Shayla.
"A what?" asked Duke.
Shayla felt a strong surge from the Millennial Rod. Dark magic surrounded the ship, plunging the arena into the heart of the Shadow Realm. There was confused gasps and comments from everyone on board.
"What is this Joe? I'm afraid," said Serenity.
"We're in the Shadow Realm!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"Oh no! Not here!" whined Téa.
"What is this, brother?" asked Mokuba.
"We've entered a cloud bank, nothing to worry about," answered Seto Kaiba, apathetically.
"Not here, anywhere but here," moaned Shayla.
"It's going to take more than violet clouds to freak me out, Marik," said Mai.
Marik chuckled. "I hope you like them, because when you lose, I will seal your mind her for all eternity."
"Mai! Listen to me!" called Yu-Gi. "The stakes have gotten to high! You must get out of there now! You must forfeit!"
"Forfeit?" said Mai, shocked. "I've worked too hard to get this far. I'm not backing out now."
"Mai! As a friend I am begging you to stop this!" called Shayla, who sounded on the verge of tears."
"Shayla, I thought you'd understand," said Mai. "I'm not backing out, and I don't need any of your friendship lectures!"
Shayla took a step backwards, Mai's words had cut through her like a knife. Everyone else was also equally stunned that Mai could be so harsh.
"Listen, if Mai is going through with this, we need to be there for her," said Téa, at length.
"Right!" agreed Joe. "We've always been there for each other, now we need to be there for Mai."
"Wow! That's so awesome brother!" exclaimed Serenity.
Shayla was still too shocked to answer. The others couldn't feel the Shadow Realm pressing in like she could. Shayla was afraid. She started to do one thing she hadn't done for too long, she realized, she started praying.
Marik looked down at her, disdainfully. "What magic is this girl using? It is unlike the Millennial Items."
"Now, I summon the Unfriendly Amazon in attack mode!" announced Mai. Her newest monster appeared. She had long dark hair and wore a grey robe. In her hands was a fierce sword. Her attack was 2000. "I place one magic card, then I'll have her attack your Dunames Dark Witch!"
"Guys, I know I'm not a Duel Monster's champion around here, but it can't possibly be good the way Mai's monster is glowing like that," commented Tristan.
"Marik is up to something," said Yu-Gi, his eyes narrowing.
Mai's attack hit and her former monster burst into dust. Marik now had 2350 life points. But, strangely, he was grinning.
"What's this?!" gasped Mai at something only she could see.
"You destroyed your own monster," said Marik, gloating. "Or have you forgotten that this is a Shadow Game? Each of our monsters represents the memories we have of someone. Destroy them monster and you will lose the memories of that person."
"Huh? What is..." stammered Mai. "I-I see Téa!"
"Me?!" gasped Téa.
"Why are you running from me!" yelled Mai.
"Oh, Mai!" exclaimed Shayla as she started praying hard.
"Mai! Can you hear me? Mai! I'm still here!" called Téa.
"Huh?" asked Mai as she started blankly down at the group. "Who's talking? I can't see anyone there..."
"Marik! That's enough!" yelled Yu-Gi. "I am your opponent! Leave Mai out of this!"
"It is so much fun to toy with mortals," snickered Marik.
"Mai seems really confused," said Serenity, who sounded really worried.
"My turn," said Marik. "I play one card face down, then I summon The Destructor and equip it with the Black Pendant, raising its attack to 2100!"
"That's trouble for Mai!" exclaimed Duke.
"Now, Destructor, attack her Unfriendly Amazon!" ordered Marik.
"If it's destroyed, she'll forget another one of us!" exclaimed Téa.
"You're not buying that, are you?" asked Duke.
"I don't know what it is, but there is definitely something up," replied Tristan.
"I activate my trap card, Amazon Archer!" announced Mai. "That reduces your monster's attack to 500! My Unfriendly Amazon is still stronger than it!" Marik merely shrugged. "Now, Unfriendly Amazon, finish of The Destructor!" Her monster jumped into the air and sliced straight through the Destructor. "Ha! Now your own rules work against you!"
"Thank you," replied Marik. "The people I remember I'd just as soon forget."
"He isn't human!" exclaimed Joe.
"That's the truth," agreed Tristan.
"And now I can activate Destructor's special ability!" announced Marik.
"Special ability?!" gasped Mai.
"Once it is sent to the graveyard, I can select a trap card from my deck and add it to my hand," said Marik. "Now I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back The Destructor and use the trap card I have selected to raise its attack to 2400!"
"Oh no!" gasped everyone.
"Now, finish off her Unfriendly Amazon!" ordered Marik. Mai's monster broke into data. "Now, who will it be this time?"
"No! Not Joe!" yelled Mai.
"Mai! I haven't gone anywhere!" called Joe, but Mai didn't seem to hear him. She fell to her knees and stared at the audience. She was looking straight at him, but her eyes wouldn't focus.
"Why is everyone leaving me?" she moaned.
"But none of us have!" yelled Joe.
Shayla found it hard to form words; sobs were occasionally spilling over.
"Ever since I was little I was alone," muttered Mai, lost in her own despair. "My parents never had time for me, leaving me home for hours before shoving me into my own place. I thought I'd always be alone. My harpies were my closest friends. That changed when I got to the Duelist Kingdom...Or so I thought. But everyone is leaving me again..."
Shayla never had felt more helpless. But then she felt a surge from another Millennial Item, the puzzle. Yu-Gi was talking to Mai, giving her hope to carry on. Marik didn't seem too happy about this, but there was very little he could do.
Mai stood up, a look of new determination on her face. "I summon Amazon Chain Master to the field!" Her newest monster wasn't much more than a smaller version of the Unfriendly Amazon, except this one carried a long chain with a hook at the end. Her attack was 1500. "And one face down card will end my turn!"
"I will summon Holding Arms," said Marik. A pair of golden shackles bearing the Eye of Horus appeared with only an attack of 500. "Then I activate its special ability, which will keep your Amazon Chain Master from attacking for three turns! Soon my dear it will be over and your mind will wander the Shadow Realm forever!"
"I'm not out of this, yet!" said Mai. "I'll activate my face down card, Grave Arm, which sends one monster of my chose to the graveyard. And I chose my own Amazon Chain Master!"
"What?!"
"That activates her special ability which allows me to take one card form your deck!" said Mai, happily. "And I chose your Egyptian god card!"
"Wow! Way to go Mai!" called Joe.
"Who's that talking?" asked Mai. "That voice sounds so familiar..."
"Shayla, are you okay?" asked Téa when she saw how nervous the blind girl was. Shayla shook her head; she didn't trust her voice.
"To finish my turn, I play two face down cards, then summon Amazon Fighter!" announced Mai. Her newest monster also had an attack of 1500.
"What a weak monster!" laughed Marik. "Destroy it, Destructor!"
"I don't think so!" countered Mai. "Activate face down card, Amazon Magician! It swaps the attack points of our two monsters, meaning your Destructor is history!" True to her word, The Destructor disappeared in a blaze of glory by the hand of the Amazon Fighter. This took Marik's life points down to 1050.
"She almost has him!" cheered Tristan.
"If she can summon that god card, Marik's toast!" agreed Joe.
"Oh, Arkana, I'm glad to be forgetting that pest," said Marik, back on the dueling field.
"Now I activate Card of Last Will, which lets me draw a new hand!" said Mai.
"And I can activate The Destructor's special ability again," reminded Marik, his voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard. 'I'll activate Nightmare Wheel, which imprisons your Amazon Fighter and costs you 500 life points each turn!"
"Activate Rescue Operation!" declared Mai. "I am returning my Amazon Fighter to my hand, which deactivates your trap card! Then I summon Cyber Harpy to the field!" Her modern harpy appeared on her side of the field with an attack of 1800.
"She's on a roll," commented Duke. (AN/ Sorry, bad pun.)
"Now, I use the magic card Graceful Charity!" continued Mai. "I draw three cards, then discard two...Are you ready to have your god monster turned against you, Marik?" Marik gave her an evil grin.
"I use Elegant Egotist to multiply my harpy, then I tribute all three to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra!" announced Mai, proudly.
"She did it!" cheered Joe.
"Wow! Go Mai!" yelled Serenity.
Shayla, however, felt a very cold chill in the air. Something was very wrong. Shayla was beginning to strongly dislike the god cards.
"Is that Ra?" asked Tristan as a brilliant golden light surrounded the field.
"It's...It's a big ball!" exclaimed Duke.
"What's the deal?!" gasped Mai.
Marik started laughing. "I should explain this about Ra. It will only obey the one who can say the chant printed on the card."
"Chant?" asked Mai as she looked at the card. "That writing wasn't there before!"
"Of course not. Pegasus painted it so that it will only be seen when Ra is summoned," answered Marik, very smugly.
"What letters are these?!" gasped Mai, looking desperately from the card to the sphere that was Ra and back again.
"Those letters can only be read by the few who have ties to ancient Egypt," continued Marik. "And there are a few of those on this ship." He looked at Yu-Gi first, then over to Kaiba, who both glared back.
"But..But," stammered Mai.
"This isn't good," said Joe.
"Are you going to read the chant or should I my next turn?" asked Marik, his evil grin growing.
"I-I-I play one card face down and end my turn," said Mai, deflated.
"I thought as much," said Marik.
"Someone needs to cut that smirk off of his face! It's starting to bug me!" growled Joe.
"That hair also could use a trim," commented Tristan. "Or a weed-whacker."
"I'll start my turn by summoning Holding Legs to the field," announced Marik. A monster almost identical to the Holding Arms appeared next to it. The major difference was its attack, which was 800. "Now I activate its special ability, which returns your magic card to your hand!"
"Oh no!" gasped Mai.
"Please...no!" Shayla gasped.
"Then I activate the Sacred Stone of Wadjet and use my three cards in a combo!" continued Marik. The Holding Arms and Holding Legs flew over to Mai and locked around her wrists and ankles. The sacred stone rose behind her and the holding monsters locked on it, imprisoning her against the stone.
"What's this?!" gasped Mai as she struggled to break free. "I can't move! This is no hologram!"
"MAI!" called the group.
"That also counted for a direct attack against your life points," explained Marik as Mai's life points dropped to 800. "And now I will summon Ra!"
Marik started to speak in another language, an ancient one. Everyone seemed mostly puzzled, except Yu-Gi and Kaiba, who understood every word and hadn't even guessed he was speaking a new language. Shayla thought she could recognize one or two from her dreams, but her stomach felt as if she had swallowed lead and thus she wasn't too focused on the chant. The creature that responded the most was Ra, another wave of blinding light covering the field. It unfolded with an attack of 5400.
"Mai! Get off of there!" warned Yu-Gi.
"She's trapped!" exclaimed Téa.
"How is that possible?!" gasped Duke.
"I can't reach my duel disk," moaned Mai.
"You can no longer duel, this is over!" yelled Marik.
"No! Mai!" yelled Joe as he raced onto the field. He took her head in his hands and forced her to look right into his eyes.
"Sir! Get off the field or you will be disqualified," said the official. Joe ignored him so the official turned to Kaiba for help, but Kaiba also ignored him.
"Mai! You have to remember! We're your friends! You have to!" yelled Joe.
"Who's there?" asked Mai. "That voice...so familiar.."
"Mai! It's Joe! You have to remember!" called Joe. "Listen, Mai..I'm sorry. Earlier today, when we were talking about my dream...You were there. I'm sorry I lied to you..."
"Huh?" asked Mai, her eyes focusing. "Joe? Joe?!"
"You remember!" exclaimed Joe.
"That brat broke through my spell!" growled Marik. "Fine then! Ra! Finish them both!" Ra turned to attack.
"NO!" screamed the group.
"Joe! Mai!" yelled Yu-Gi as he too jumped onto the field. He stood between Marik and Joe and Mai, with his back to Marik.
On a spur of the moment, Shayla leapt her feet and scrambled up the side of the arena, too.
"Yu-Gi! Shayla!"
Ra attacked.
Yu-Gi ended up taking Ra's attack full in the back. As the attack first struck Shayla screamed and jumped backwards, leaning against the guardrail. She could feel the heat from the attack not more than three feet from her. Joe was shielding Mai and Yu-Gi was shielding both of them with Shayla off to the side.
"Joe! Help! Get me out of here!" called Mai as she pulled on the chains again.
"Of course!" agreed Joe as he added his strength in.
"Hurry!" encouraged Yu-Gi. Ra's attack stopped, and Yu-Gi collapsed to the ground.
"Yu-Gi!"
"Oh, gosh!" exclaimed Shayla, near nauseous.
Joe pulled Mai free, then fell to Yu-Gi's side, trying to wake him up. Mai slid to the ground as well, exhausted.
"Mai! Are you alright?" asked Shayla, half shaking as well.
"No problem kid."
"I'm afraid there is," said Marik as he walked over. "You lost the duel."
"Leave her alone you freak!" yelled Joe as he jumped up and confronted Marik. Marik merely laughed and completely paralyzed Joe with his Millennial Rod.
"Joe!" cried Serenity.
"We have a bargain," sneered Marik as he looked down on Mai.
"Don't hurt her!" said Shayla, mustering as much courage as she could and standing between Marik and Mai. She opened her mouth to further protested, but Marik swung the rod and caught her under the jaw. She slipped to the ground, stunned. Marik knew better than to attempt to use the rod against another bearer of a Millennial Items. The results were too unpredictable.
"Shayla!" gasped Téa.
"That was uncalled for!!!" yelled Tristan, who was running over to climb the arena as well.
"Didn't anyone tell you how to treat a lady?!" growled Duke, joining him.
"Good-bye, Mai," said Marik. With that he drew on the power of the Millennial Rod and sealed her mind within her own fading memories.
"Get away from them!!!" yelled Duke and Tristan. Marik gave a mock bow and flounced off.
Kaiba looked at the group and pressed his intercom. "Get the medical team out here pronto..yes, the entire team. . . . . And make it quick, I have a duel to prepare for."
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Shayla sat in a chair in the medical wing, holding a bag of ice over her sore jaw. Mai had been found a bed not too far form Bakura and Odion. Yu- Gi was being inspected for burns on his back. The staff was puzzled by this, "after all, it was just a hologram."
"Shayla, are you okay?" asked Téa. The girl had her head low and was occasionally repressing tears.
"No," answered Shayla, honestly. "I.I.."
"I know," sighed Téa.
"That Marik!" growled Joe as he punched the wall.
"Why won't she wake up?" asked Serenity.
"How could he have done this?" asked Duke.
"We have to do something to stop this," said Tristan as he looked from one cot to another.
"Shayla, listen to me," said Téa. "You need to head back to your room to calm down." Tears were falling out of her blind eyes.
"I can't leave her!" exclaimed Shayla.
"You aren't going to help anyone now," said Téa. "I know it hurts, but you'll do more good when you get a grip on things." Shayla didn't answer. "I'll walk you back, even."
"I...okay..." sighed Shayla. "Can you give me a moment alone with Mai, though?"
"Sure," agreed Téa. She then walked over and began ushering everyone else out of the room.
Shayla walked over to Mai's bedside and took her hand. There was so much she wanted to say, but very little would come out.
"Mai..I'm so sorry," she stammered. "But I promise, I'm not going to leave you." She took a deep breath. "Please, promise me you won't leave me." She struggled to find more words, but nothing would come. Determined to keep her word to Téa, she met her in the halls.
"Take a nap or a shower or something," suggested Téa. "It will do you some good."
"I-I don't want to lose another friend," stammered Shayla as they head back to her room.
"Oh," said Téa, the thought never occurring to her before. "You mean...like your old boyfriend...Luther." Shayla nodded. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to save Mai."
Shayla was quiet the rest of the way back. She only said a brief 'thank you' before disappearing in her room.
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Shayla did neither of the things that Téa suggested. Instead she picked up her Bible and started reading. It did a bit to calm her nerves, but every time she'd stop and think her stomach would tie in a knot. Unable to take it any more, she left her room and walked to one of the open-air passages.
She leaned against the wall, a decent ways away from the edge. (She still was afraid since her experience in Marik's helicopter.) The breeze was cool and refreshing and it tossed her brown hair freely. Shayla didn't really care, though. It did a little, but only a little, to help calm her down.
She heard footsteps approaching. "Who's there?"
"Sorry to disturb you. I didn't realize anyone was here," answered Seto Kaiba.
"No harm done," said Shayla, monotone.
"I had thought everyone was in the hospital wing," he added.
"At this rate, everyone will be," replied Shayla, dryly.
"I don't think so. Duel Monsters is about power. Some can handle it, some can't."
"What?" asked Shayla, a bit taken back.
"It's simple. Those that can handle it ate still standing. Those that can't have fallen. The weak are gone and the strong remain, so I doubt that anyone else will get hurt," explained Kaiba. What he didn't say out-loud was, "You're still standing, and that says a lot."
Shayla was completely shocked by the nature of that statement. She struggled for words for a few seconds before saying, "Go away."
"What?" exclaimed Kaiba, shocked by her tone.
"Go away. You understand nothing. Go away and leave me alone," she answered, turning her back to him.
"Shayla...I..." he stammered, but he knew it was no use continuing. He turned and walked away, thinking to himself, "Some how I blew it. She'll never care about me. It's easier just to forget these feelings I have. They'll fade soon enough. It's easy to forget, then I can't get hurt."
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Shayla had stood in silence for a long time, her thoughts turning over one another. Then something from one of her dreams broke on her like a tidal wave. She had raced off to Ishizu's room that instant. She knocked quickly on the door and entered as soon as Ishizu gave the word.
The Egyptian lady tried not to concern herself with how stressed Shayla looked, after all, she had seen it coming. Still, there was something urgent written on her face.
"What is it, child?" asked Ishizu.
"In the last dream I had..something was said," started Shayla, talking way too fast. It wasn't an eager jabbering, but more like a nervous rant. She sat down while trying to fit words together in a logical manner. "You said that the Millennial Items were limited and power and had no power over each other. It was like that time in the warehouse where Bakura used the ring to break Marik's hold over Bandit Keith. The Millennial Items can cancel each other out like that.."
"Yes, they can," said Ishizu, surprised. "But it takes considerable skill.
"Show me!" insisted Shayla, for the first time having now doubts about her responsibility as a bearer. "Show me so I can help Mai."
"It will be difficult," said Ishizu. "But I will try.
Shayla walked into Ishizu's room the next day. She didn't wait for any formalities; she didn't even sit down. "Who is Odion?"
"Huh?" asked Ishizu, who was taken by surprise by her 'student's' abruptness.
"Who is Odion, the one in the hospital wing now?" Shayla asked again. Ishizu paused before answering. She wasn't sure if she should tell, but the scales did not take kindly to liars. "He is my adopted older brother."
Shayla was surprised by this, enough to sit down and rethink her approach. "This has to be hard on you."
Ishizu slowly nodded. "I cannot give up hope for my brother, but his future seems so dark." She fingered her Millennial Necklace at this.
"I wish I knew," sighed Shayla. "I..I don't know family."
Ishizu looked her over again, once again surprised that she was surprised by the girl. "How strange fate plays that it makes an orphan out of the Israelite who had eight brothers!" she thought.
"I-I feel so confused," continued Shayla. "There is so much I feel that I should know..that it feels like I have forgotten..I don't know how to describe it, but there's so much going on here...I don't know how it all fits together."
"It will come to you in time," said Ishizu. As Shayla listened, her voice seemed to fade out of focus. "It won't do you any good to...."
*Dream*
"..continue to work on this today," said priestess Ishizu. "You'll only get more frustrated. Go back home to your mother."
Shayla could tell the Israelite girl was have a bad day at her hieroglyphic studies. She was very frustrated and getting mad at herself. "Yes ma'am." She agreed and stood up.
"And try not to get lost," said Ishizu as she walked out the door. The girl nodded at her and slipped out into the shadows of the temple.
It turned out to be a doubly bad day, because, true to Ishizu's warning, she got lost.
"I swear these passages change on me every day!" she exclaimed as she continued into the temple, trying to find her way out.
"You must try again, Lady Ishizu!" a voice echoed down the hallway. Once again seized by curiosity, the girl followed it to the room that two people were in, hid by flattening herself against the wall, and began to eavesdrop.
"I have tried, Priest Shada, but I cannot seem the future of Priest Mahado," Ishizu said. The girl seemed puzzled. Ishizu actually seemed worried, which was the first time since the guard had threatened to kill her. There was a tense pause. "You cannot find his mind anywhere with the Millennial Key, either."
"I fear for his safety," said the man whom Shayla had assumed was Priest Shada. "It can only mean one thing.."
"It has two meanings," corrected Ishizu. "The Millennial Items are limited. They have no power over each other. That either means something has happened to Mahado and he still possesses the Millennial Ring, or he is dead and the ring stolen."
"Let us pray to Ra that it is the first," sighed Karim. Shayla and the Hebrew girl both metaphorically rolled their eyes at that. The Israelite took that as her cue to leave, and scampered further into the shadows of the temple.
*End Dream*
"Shayla!" called Ishizu.
"Ugh..what happened?" groaned Shayla.
"You had another vision," answered Ishizu.
"..What do they all mean?" asked Shayla.
"That you must discover for yourself," replied Ishizu. Shayla merely nodded.
"Will all finalists please gather for the selection of the two contestants," announced the PA.
"Will you be drawn this time?" asked Shayla.
"No, but your friend will be," answered Ishizu.
"Mai?!" gasped Shayla, a bit surprised. She stood up. "I-I'm sorry to leave you, but I need to be there for my friend."
"I understand," said Ishizu. Shayla took that as approval and walked out the door. As it closed behind her Ishizu said, "Your friend will not be the only one tested in this duel."
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Shayla walked down the hall, only to run into most of the group as they left the hospital wing. They all called to her to join them, but she wanted to wait for Mai.
"Let's see, if Mai is chosen and Ishizu isn't....that means Mai either has to duel Kaiba or Marik...I don't like this..."
Shayla stopped by the entrance to the hospital door and heard Mai's and Joe's voices filter out. An idea like this would normally never cross her mind, but after seeing it in two dreams, it only seemed like the right thing to do. She pressed her back against the wall and began to listen to them.
"So Joe," said Mai, "in that dream you said all your friends were there. Was I?"
"Huh? What?! No! Definitely not. Nope, not there!" jabbered Joe.
"Oh?"
"Well, it was at school and..nope, you defiantly weren't there," he continued to stammer. The scales saw through his lie in an instant.
"Huff!" exclaimed Mai as she stormed out. In her haste she didn't even see her roommate as she walked passed. A few seconds later Joe walked out, and he too didn't see Shayla.
Shayla stepped away from the wall and called after him. "You lied to her."
"Huh?! What?!" yelled Joe who had been taken completely by surprise. "What are you doing there? I didn't see you."
"Apparently," muttered Shayla. "Why did you lie to her?"
"I-I don't know what you are talking about..." Joe stammered.
"You cannot lie to me, I have the Millennial Scales," reminded Shayla. "I just want to know why you did it. All Mai was asking was if she was your friend."
"She was?" asked Joe, scratching the back of his head. "Then why didn't she come out and say it?" He looked even more bashful. "Gotta go!" He raced off.
"Men!" exclaimed Shayla, exasperated. She started down the hall again, trying to catch up with Mai.
Shayla soon enough realized she had never been to the room where they drew the contestants.
"The first finalist chosen is...Marik Ishtar!" announced the PA.
"Oh no!" gasped Shayla. "Mai is in trouble!" She broke into a run, figuring she's meet everyone on the roof at the field. A moment later, true to Ishizu's prediction, Mai's name was drawn.
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"Hi Shayla!" called Téa as the group assembled. "You made it."
"Of course I did. Where's Mai?" asked Shayla.
"On the dueling platform already," answered Duke.
"Good luck, Mai!" called Shayla.
"You can do this," added Yu-Gi. "Marik is tough, but he isn't invincible."
"Yu-Gi, save it," snapped Mai. "I don't need your help, you'll only distract me."
Shayla was shocked. She had never heard Mai speak so harshly. "Mai?!"
"Shayla, please, I don't need it," retorted Mai. Shayla looked as if she had been slapped. Everyone else seemed equally surprised that Mai would be so harsh with one of her closest friends. "Are you ready Marik?"
"So eager to seal your own fate," said Marik with a slight laugh. Every time he spoke Shayla felt as if ice was sliding down her spine. There was something seriously wrong with him.
"Oh, can it!" snapped Mai. "I'll open this duel by summoning Dunames Dark Witch in attack mode!" Her monster had 1800 attack points.
"Then I will summon my Revival Jam in defense mode," announced Marik. "As well as the magic card Jam Breeding Machine!" His first monster appeared to the field. It looked like a blob of pale blue jelly. Its stats were 1500 and 500.
"Oh no!" gasped Yu-Gi. "He's going to try to summon his god card!"
Mai, however, wasn't impressed. "Are you going to try to beat me with Jell- O ©?" Marik merely chuckled.
"Mai, you're going to have to be careful!" called Joe. "Marik is up to something!" Mai ignored him.
"Why is she so mad?" asked Serenity.
"I have a hunch," muttered Shayla, tilting her head towards Joe.
"It doesn't seem so tough to me," said Mai. "Attack! Dunames Dark Witch!" Her monster dove in and struck the Revival Jam, sending little bits of jelly across the field. "Ha! Not so tough!" But as those words were out of her mouth, the bits of Revival Jam began to merge together again.
Marik chuckled. "You cannot hurt Revival Jam, any time you attack it will simply reform."
"I won't give up that easily," retorted Mai as Marik began his next turn.
"There is something seriously wrong with Marik," said Shayla as she felt the strange flux of the Millennial Item's power around him.
"I think he's always that way," said Joe, not really listening.
"I don't know, he flipped last duel," said Tristan, a bit more thoughtfully.
"He is being controlled by an evil spirit, created from the power of the Millennial Rod," answered Yu-Gi, monotone.
"What?!" exclaimed Shayla.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Duke shrugged it off.
"I will use Pot of Greed to open my next turn," said Marik as he stared down Mai like she as a chicken to a wolf. "That allows me to draw two new cards. While I do that, my Slime Breeding Machine will create one slime token for me." A smaller blob of gel appeared besides the first with stats of an even 500. "Then I play one face down card to end my turn."
"So far I have yet to be impressed," said Mai, coolly.
"I don't like these Millennial Items much any more," thought Shayla as she tightened her grip on her backpack. "They seem to bring out the worst in people...First Pegasus with the eye, then Bakura with the ring..now Marik with the rod....Yu-Gi seems to be able to control his..Could something happen to me or Ishizu? I really don't like this...But...Luther gave them to me..he'd never hurt me...I am so confused...I'm afraid...for us all."
"Sorry Marik, but you'll find I'm not so easy to beat," said Mai as she started her next turn. "I activate Harpy's Feather Duster and eliminate your face down card and Slime Breeding Machine!"
"Way to go Mai!" cheered the group. Mai only acknowledged them by a wave of her hand, a gesture for them to be quiet.
"Now, Dunames Dark Witch, attack the Slime Token!" ordered Mai. Her fairy monster flew over and blasted the Slime Token in a burst of light. This took Marik down to 2700 life points, the first direct damage of the duel. "And I play one face down card to end my turn."
"I think she'll pull this off!" said Téa, hopefully.
"Yes, but I am about to reveal a much more powerful monster!" said Marik. "I tribute the ones I have in play to summon Masked Beast Des Guardius!" A strange monster with three masks appeared on the field.
"Mai! You have to be careful of its special ability!" called Shayla.
"I said I don't need any help," retorted Mai. "I was a great duelist before I met any of you, in case you have forgotten. Now leave me alone and let me win this my own way."
"Don't take it too hard, Shayla," said Serenity. "Mai's just upset right now. I'm sure she didn't mean it." Shayla nodded, she didn't trust herself to speak.
"Now let's see how tough you are," sneered Marik. "Masked Beast, attack!"
"Mirror Wall!" announced Mai as his attack was blocked. The Masked Beast shattered into digital bits before disappearing.
"Mai really likes that combo," commented Tristan.
"You have no monsters left, Marik, so I can attack your life points directly!" said Mai, happily. "Now, attack, Dunames Dark Witch!"
"Not so fast!" countered Marik. "My Masked Beast has left a surprise for you!"
"What?"
"Thos threes masks will merge into one mask, giving me control of your monster!" said Marik. A hideous mask formed around the dark witch and she drifted over to Marik's side of the field.
"And I will continue by activating Remove Trap on your Mirror Wall!" said Marik.
"He took out all her defenses!" exclaimed Joe.
"You'd be foolish to think that's all I can do," said Mai, harshly. "I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be," spat Marik. "Perhaps I need to teach you fear. This duel has now become a Shadow Game!"
"What?! No!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"He can't be serious!" gasped Shayla.
"A what?" asked Duke.
Shayla felt a strong surge from the Millennial Rod. Dark magic surrounded the ship, plunging the arena into the heart of the Shadow Realm. There was confused gasps and comments from everyone on board.
"What is this Joe? I'm afraid," said Serenity.
"We're in the Shadow Realm!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"Oh no! Not here!" whined Téa.
"What is this, brother?" asked Mokuba.
"We've entered a cloud bank, nothing to worry about," answered Seto Kaiba, apathetically.
"Not here, anywhere but here," moaned Shayla.
"It's going to take more than violet clouds to freak me out, Marik," said Mai.
Marik chuckled. "I hope you like them, because when you lose, I will seal your mind her for all eternity."
"Mai! Listen to me!" called Yu-Gi. "The stakes have gotten to high! You must get out of there now! You must forfeit!"
"Forfeit?" said Mai, shocked. "I've worked too hard to get this far. I'm not backing out now."
"Mai! As a friend I am begging you to stop this!" called Shayla, who sounded on the verge of tears."
"Shayla, I thought you'd understand," said Mai. "I'm not backing out, and I don't need any of your friendship lectures!"
Shayla took a step backwards, Mai's words had cut through her like a knife. Everyone else was also equally stunned that Mai could be so harsh.
"Listen, if Mai is going through with this, we need to be there for her," said Téa, at length.
"Right!" agreed Joe. "We've always been there for each other, now we need to be there for Mai."
"Wow! That's so awesome brother!" exclaimed Serenity.
Shayla was still too shocked to answer. The others couldn't feel the Shadow Realm pressing in like she could. Shayla was afraid. She started to do one thing she hadn't done for too long, she realized, she started praying.
Marik looked down at her, disdainfully. "What magic is this girl using? It is unlike the Millennial Items."
"Now, I summon the Unfriendly Amazon in attack mode!" announced Mai. Her newest monster appeared. She had long dark hair and wore a grey robe. In her hands was a fierce sword. Her attack was 2000. "I place one magic card, then I'll have her attack your Dunames Dark Witch!"
"Guys, I know I'm not a Duel Monster's champion around here, but it can't possibly be good the way Mai's monster is glowing like that," commented Tristan.
"Marik is up to something," said Yu-Gi, his eyes narrowing.
Mai's attack hit and her former monster burst into dust. Marik now had 2350 life points. But, strangely, he was grinning.
"What's this?!" gasped Mai at something only she could see.
"You destroyed your own monster," said Marik, gloating. "Or have you forgotten that this is a Shadow Game? Each of our monsters represents the memories we have of someone. Destroy them monster and you will lose the memories of that person."
"Huh? What is..." stammered Mai. "I-I see Téa!"
"Me?!" gasped Téa.
"Why are you running from me!" yelled Mai.
"Oh, Mai!" exclaimed Shayla as she started praying hard.
"Mai! Can you hear me? Mai! I'm still here!" called Téa.
"Huh?" asked Mai as she started blankly down at the group. "Who's talking? I can't see anyone there..."
"Marik! That's enough!" yelled Yu-Gi. "I am your opponent! Leave Mai out of this!"
"It is so much fun to toy with mortals," snickered Marik.
"Mai seems really confused," said Serenity, who sounded really worried.
"My turn," said Marik. "I play one card face down, then I summon The Destructor and equip it with the Black Pendant, raising its attack to 2100!"
"That's trouble for Mai!" exclaimed Duke.
"Now, Destructor, attack her Unfriendly Amazon!" ordered Marik.
"If it's destroyed, she'll forget another one of us!" exclaimed Téa.
"You're not buying that, are you?" asked Duke.
"I don't know what it is, but there is definitely something up," replied Tristan.
"I activate my trap card, Amazon Archer!" announced Mai. "That reduces your monster's attack to 500! My Unfriendly Amazon is still stronger than it!" Marik merely shrugged. "Now, Unfriendly Amazon, finish of The Destructor!" Her monster jumped into the air and sliced straight through the Destructor. "Ha! Now your own rules work against you!"
"Thank you," replied Marik. "The people I remember I'd just as soon forget."
"He isn't human!" exclaimed Joe.
"That's the truth," agreed Tristan.
"And now I can activate Destructor's special ability!" announced Marik.
"Special ability?!" gasped Mai.
"Once it is sent to the graveyard, I can select a trap card from my deck and add it to my hand," said Marik. "Now I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back The Destructor and use the trap card I have selected to raise its attack to 2400!"
"Oh no!" gasped everyone.
"Now, finish off her Unfriendly Amazon!" ordered Marik. Mai's monster broke into data. "Now, who will it be this time?"
"No! Not Joe!" yelled Mai.
"Mai! I haven't gone anywhere!" called Joe, but Mai didn't seem to hear him. She fell to her knees and stared at the audience. She was looking straight at him, but her eyes wouldn't focus.
"Why is everyone leaving me?" she moaned.
"But none of us have!" yelled Joe.
Shayla found it hard to form words; sobs were occasionally spilling over.
"Ever since I was little I was alone," muttered Mai, lost in her own despair. "My parents never had time for me, leaving me home for hours before shoving me into my own place. I thought I'd always be alone. My harpies were my closest friends. That changed when I got to the Duelist Kingdom...Or so I thought. But everyone is leaving me again..."
Shayla never had felt more helpless. But then she felt a surge from another Millennial Item, the puzzle. Yu-Gi was talking to Mai, giving her hope to carry on. Marik didn't seem too happy about this, but there was very little he could do.
Mai stood up, a look of new determination on her face. "I summon Amazon Chain Master to the field!" Her newest monster wasn't much more than a smaller version of the Unfriendly Amazon, except this one carried a long chain with a hook at the end. Her attack was 1500. "And one face down card will end my turn!"
"I will summon Holding Arms," said Marik. A pair of golden shackles bearing the Eye of Horus appeared with only an attack of 500. "Then I activate its special ability, which will keep your Amazon Chain Master from attacking for three turns! Soon my dear it will be over and your mind will wander the Shadow Realm forever!"
"I'm not out of this, yet!" said Mai. "I'll activate my face down card, Grave Arm, which sends one monster of my chose to the graveyard. And I chose my own Amazon Chain Master!"
"What?!"
"That activates her special ability which allows me to take one card form your deck!" said Mai, happily. "And I chose your Egyptian god card!"
"Wow! Way to go Mai!" called Joe.
"Who's that talking?" asked Mai. "That voice sounds so familiar..."
"Shayla, are you okay?" asked Téa when she saw how nervous the blind girl was. Shayla shook her head; she didn't trust her voice.
"To finish my turn, I play two face down cards, then summon Amazon Fighter!" announced Mai. Her newest monster also had an attack of 1500.
"What a weak monster!" laughed Marik. "Destroy it, Destructor!"
"I don't think so!" countered Mai. "Activate face down card, Amazon Magician! It swaps the attack points of our two monsters, meaning your Destructor is history!" True to her word, The Destructor disappeared in a blaze of glory by the hand of the Amazon Fighter. This took Marik's life points down to 1050.
"She almost has him!" cheered Tristan.
"If she can summon that god card, Marik's toast!" agreed Joe.
"Oh, Arkana, I'm glad to be forgetting that pest," said Marik, back on the dueling field.
"Now I activate Card of Last Will, which lets me draw a new hand!" said Mai.
"And I can activate The Destructor's special ability again," reminded Marik, his voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard. 'I'll activate Nightmare Wheel, which imprisons your Amazon Fighter and costs you 500 life points each turn!"
"Activate Rescue Operation!" declared Mai. "I am returning my Amazon Fighter to my hand, which deactivates your trap card! Then I summon Cyber Harpy to the field!" Her modern harpy appeared on her side of the field with an attack of 1800.
"She's on a roll," commented Duke. (AN/ Sorry, bad pun.)
"Now, I use the magic card Graceful Charity!" continued Mai. "I draw three cards, then discard two...Are you ready to have your god monster turned against you, Marik?" Marik gave her an evil grin.
"I use Elegant Egotist to multiply my harpy, then I tribute all three to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra!" announced Mai, proudly.
"She did it!" cheered Joe.
"Wow! Go Mai!" yelled Serenity.
Shayla, however, felt a very cold chill in the air. Something was very wrong. Shayla was beginning to strongly dislike the god cards.
"Is that Ra?" asked Tristan as a brilliant golden light surrounded the field.
"It's...It's a big ball!" exclaimed Duke.
"What's the deal?!" gasped Mai.
Marik started laughing. "I should explain this about Ra. It will only obey the one who can say the chant printed on the card."
"Chant?" asked Mai as she looked at the card. "That writing wasn't there before!"
"Of course not. Pegasus painted it so that it will only be seen when Ra is summoned," answered Marik, very smugly.
"What letters are these?!" gasped Mai, looking desperately from the card to the sphere that was Ra and back again.
"Those letters can only be read by the few who have ties to ancient Egypt," continued Marik. "And there are a few of those on this ship." He looked at Yu-Gi first, then over to Kaiba, who both glared back.
"But..But," stammered Mai.
"This isn't good," said Joe.
"Are you going to read the chant or should I my next turn?" asked Marik, his evil grin growing.
"I-I-I play one card face down and end my turn," said Mai, deflated.
"I thought as much," said Marik.
"Someone needs to cut that smirk off of his face! It's starting to bug me!" growled Joe.
"That hair also could use a trim," commented Tristan. "Or a weed-whacker."
"I'll start my turn by summoning Holding Legs to the field," announced Marik. A monster almost identical to the Holding Arms appeared next to it. The major difference was its attack, which was 800. "Now I activate its special ability, which returns your magic card to your hand!"
"Oh no!" gasped Mai.
"Please...no!" Shayla gasped.
"Then I activate the Sacred Stone of Wadjet and use my three cards in a combo!" continued Marik. The Holding Arms and Holding Legs flew over to Mai and locked around her wrists and ankles. The sacred stone rose behind her and the holding monsters locked on it, imprisoning her against the stone.
"What's this?!" gasped Mai as she struggled to break free. "I can't move! This is no hologram!"
"MAI!" called the group.
"That also counted for a direct attack against your life points," explained Marik as Mai's life points dropped to 800. "And now I will summon Ra!"
Marik started to speak in another language, an ancient one. Everyone seemed mostly puzzled, except Yu-Gi and Kaiba, who understood every word and hadn't even guessed he was speaking a new language. Shayla thought she could recognize one or two from her dreams, but her stomach felt as if she had swallowed lead and thus she wasn't too focused on the chant. The creature that responded the most was Ra, another wave of blinding light covering the field. It unfolded with an attack of 5400.
"Mai! Get off of there!" warned Yu-Gi.
"She's trapped!" exclaimed Téa.
"How is that possible?!" gasped Duke.
"I can't reach my duel disk," moaned Mai.
"You can no longer duel, this is over!" yelled Marik.
"No! Mai!" yelled Joe as he raced onto the field. He took her head in his hands and forced her to look right into his eyes.
"Sir! Get off the field or you will be disqualified," said the official. Joe ignored him so the official turned to Kaiba for help, but Kaiba also ignored him.
"Mai! You have to remember! We're your friends! You have to!" yelled Joe.
"Who's there?" asked Mai. "That voice...so familiar.."
"Mai! It's Joe! You have to remember!" called Joe. "Listen, Mai..I'm sorry. Earlier today, when we were talking about my dream...You were there. I'm sorry I lied to you..."
"Huh?" asked Mai, her eyes focusing. "Joe? Joe?!"
"You remember!" exclaimed Joe.
"That brat broke through my spell!" growled Marik. "Fine then! Ra! Finish them both!" Ra turned to attack.
"NO!" screamed the group.
"Joe! Mai!" yelled Yu-Gi as he too jumped onto the field. He stood between Marik and Joe and Mai, with his back to Marik.
On a spur of the moment, Shayla leapt her feet and scrambled up the side of the arena, too.
"Yu-Gi! Shayla!"
Ra attacked.
Yu-Gi ended up taking Ra's attack full in the back. As the attack first struck Shayla screamed and jumped backwards, leaning against the guardrail. She could feel the heat from the attack not more than three feet from her. Joe was shielding Mai and Yu-Gi was shielding both of them with Shayla off to the side.
"Joe! Help! Get me out of here!" called Mai as she pulled on the chains again.
"Of course!" agreed Joe as he added his strength in.
"Hurry!" encouraged Yu-Gi. Ra's attack stopped, and Yu-Gi collapsed to the ground.
"Yu-Gi!"
"Oh, gosh!" exclaimed Shayla, near nauseous.
Joe pulled Mai free, then fell to Yu-Gi's side, trying to wake him up. Mai slid to the ground as well, exhausted.
"Mai! Are you alright?" asked Shayla, half shaking as well.
"No problem kid."
"I'm afraid there is," said Marik as he walked over. "You lost the duel."
"Leave her alone you freak!" yelled Joe as he jumped up and confronted Marik. Marik merely laughed and completely paralyzed Joe with his Millennial Rod.
"Joe!" cried Serenity.
"We have a bargain," sneered Marik as he looked down on Mai.
"Don't hurt her!" said Shayla, mustering as much courage as she could and standing between Marik and Mai. She opened her mouth to further protested, but Marik swung the rod and caught her under the jaw. She slipped to the ground, stunned. Marik knew better than to attempt to use the rod against another bearer of a Millennial Items. The results were too unpredictable.
"Shayla!" gasped Téa.
"That was uncalled for!!!" yelled Tristan, who was running over to climb the arena as well.
"Didn't anyone tell you how to treat a lady?!" growled Duke, joining him.
"Good-bye, Mai," said Marik. With that he drew on the power of the Millennial Rod and sealed her mind within her own fading memories.
"Get away from them!!!" yelled Duke and Tristan. Marik gave a mock bow and flounced off.
Kaiba looked at the group and pressed his intercom. "Get the medical team out here pronto..yes, the entire team. . . . . And make it quick, I have a duel to prepare for."
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Shayla sat in a chair in the medical wing, holding a bag of ice over her sore jaw. Mai had been found a bed not too far form Bakura and Odion. Yu- Gi was being inspected for burns on his back. The staff was puzzled by this, "after all, it was just a hologram."
"Shayla, are you okay?" asked Téa. The girl had her head low and was occasionally repressing tears.
"No," answered Shayla, honestly. "I.I.."
"I know," sighed Téa.
"That Marik!" growled Joe as he punched the wall.
"Why won't she wake up?" asked Serenity.
"How could he have done this?" asked Duke.
"We have to do something to stop this," said Tristan as he looked from one cot to another.
"Shayla, listen to me," said Téa. "You need to head back to your room to calm down." Tears were falling out of her blind eyes.
"I can't leave her!" exclaimed Shayla.
"You aren't going to help anyone now," said Téa. "I know it hurts, but you'll do more good when you get a grip on things." Shayla didn't answer. "I'll walk you back, even."
"I...okay..." sighed Shayla. "Can you give me a moment alone with Mai, though?"
"Sure," agreed Téa. She then walked over and began ushering everyone else out of the room.
Shayla walked over to Mai's bedside and took her hand. There was so much she wanted to say, but very little would come out.
"Mai..I'm so sorry," she stammered. "But I promise, I'm not going to leave you." She took a deep breath. "Please, promise me you won't leave me." She struggled to find more words, but nothing would come. Determined to keep her word to Téa, she met her in the halls.
"Take a nap or a shower or something," suggested Téa. "It will do you some good."
"I-I don't want to lose another friend," stammered Shayla as they head back to her room.
"Oh," said Téa, the thought never occurring to her before. "You mean...like your old boyfriend...Luther." Shayla nodded. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to save Mai."
Shayla was quiet the rest of the way back. She only said a brief 'thank you' before disappearing in her room.
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Shayla did neither of the things that Téa suggested. Instead she picked up her Bible and started reading. It did a bit to calm her nerves, but every time she'd stop and think her stomach would tie in a knot. Unable to take it any more, she left her room and walked to one of the open-air passages.
She leaned against the wall, a decent ways away from the edge. (She still was afraid since her experience in Marik's helicopter.) The breeze was cool and refreshing and it tossed her brown hair freely. Shayla didn't really care, though. It did a little, but only a little, to help calm her down.
She heard footsteps approaching. "Who's there?"
"Sorry to disturb you. I didn't realize anyone was here," answered Seto Kaiba.
"No harm done," said Shayla, monotone.
"I had thought everyone was in the hospital wing," he added.
"At this rate, everyone will be," replied Shayla, dryly.
"I don't think so. Duel Monsters is about power. Some can handle it, some can't."
"What?" asked Shayla, a bit taken back.
"It's simple. Those that can handle it ate still standing. Those that can't have fallen. The weak are gone and the strong remain, so I doubt that anyone else will get hurt," explained Kaiba. What he didn't say out-loud was, "You're still standing, and that says a lot."
Shayla was completely shocked by the nature of that statement. She struggled for words for a few seconds before saying, "Go away."
"What?" exclaimed Kaiba, shocked by her tone.
"Go away. You understand nothing. Go away and leave me alone," she answered, turning her back to him.
"Shayla...I..." he stammered, but he knew it was no use continuing. He turned and walked away, thinking to himself, "Some how I blew it. She'll never care about me. It's easier just to forget these feelings I have. They'll fade soon enough. It's easy to forget, then I can't get hurt."
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Shayla had stood in silence for a long time, her thoughts turning over one another. Then something from one of her dreams broke on her like a tidal wave. She had raced off to Ishizu's room that instant. She knocked quickly on the door and entered as soon as Ishizu gave the word.
The Egyptian lady tried not to concern herself with how stressed Shayla looked, after all, she had seen it coming. Still, there was something urgent written on her face.
"What is it, child?" asked Ishizu.
"In the last dream I had..something was said," started Shayla, talking way too fast. It wasn't an eager jabbering, but more like a nervous rant. She sat down while trying to fit words together in a logical manner. "You said that the Millennial Items were limited and power and had no power over each other. It was like that time in the warehouse where Bakura used the ring to break Marik's hold over Bandit Keith. The Millennial Items can cancel each other out like that.."
"Yes, they can," said Ishizu, surprised. "But it takes considerable skill.
"Show me!" insisted Shayla, for the first time having now doubts about her responsibility as a bearer. "Show me so I can help Mai."
"It will be difficult," said Ishizu. "But I will try.